This invention relates to a carrier for an instrument, particularly a percussion instrument such as drums or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a carrier embodying a construction and relationship of parts to transfer forces due to, inter alia, the weight of the instrument to the body of a person in a manner so that the person can efficiently carry the instrument; maintain a stable attitude while walking or marching about and avoid pressure or other forms of detrimental forces on the shoulders and lower back, lumbar region.
As is known in the art, a carrier for a percussion instrument generally takes the form of a frame-like structure that is suspended from the shoulders of a person by hooks or straps. The hooks engage with a T-shaped breastplate with a central leg extending to a riser attached to a belly plate. A carrier frame projects from the belly plate and any one of various forms of extension bars may be attached to the carrier frame for engaging the instrument or instruments. It is a common practice to use such a carrier to support one or more of a variety of instruments that notably consist of one or more drums. The instrument may comprise marching bells, a xylophone, a vibraphone, a marimba, a timpani, chimes or the like. An example of such a carrier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,123.
Instead of hook members to engage the shoulders, a shoulder harness made up of straps that pass over the shoulders of a person, crossing in the back and passing forwardly below the arms at the sides of the person, can be used to support a drum which is also connected to a belly plate by other straps. Examples of this type of carrier are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,021,744 and 3,974,732. Another form of an instrument carrier is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,007 and comprises a rigid metal rod with bent portions forming a pair of spaced-apart loops for engaging the shoulder blades of a marcher and a cooperating integral bent portion adapted to contact the back of the marcher to suspend the carrier from the player's torso. A pair of arm members projects from the frame at the back of a person forwardly to support the percussion instrument. A releasable belt is coupled between the opposite sides of the frame to secure the carrier to the marcher.
Because of the fact that percussion instruments must be carried at an outwardly-extended position from the marcher's body, the shoulders and the lower back of the person carrying the instrument are particularly vulnerable to fatigue. The stress and strain due to the overhung load can be detrimental to the person carrying the instrument. In recent times, the number, weight and types of instruments that are carried have increased. For example, four and sometimes six drums are carried by an individual. Other instruments which are supported by carriers which hang on the marcher's body include bells, a xylophone or a marimba, vibraphone, timpani and/or chimes which may have a weight of up to and sometimes exceeding 30 pounds. Sometimes an instrument or a group of instruments weighing up to 70 pounds must be carried. The weight of an instrument is applied to a marcher as a torque about the belly plate and forms a moment arm defined by shoulder straps or hooks. The marcher, almost inherently, shifts his or her lower torso forwardly as an offsetting measure to sustain the load produced by the overhanging weight. This causes fatigue in the lower lumbar region which the carrier of the present invention is designed to at least substantially eliminate.